Exploring the Heritage Corridor: Joe-Pye weed great for garden, not as medicine

Sunday

Aug 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMAug 31, 2008 at 12:57 AM

I am replanting an area of our yard and have been perusing lists of native plants to use.

CHARLENE PERKINS CUTLER

I am replanting an area of our yard and have been perusing lists of native plants to use. Native species are those that occurred in New England before European colonization. As such, they preserve our natural heritage while adding beauty to the landscape. They play an important role in habitats by providing food for wildlife. From a practical standpoint, they require less water and very little maintenance — my kind of garden. At the same time, I'm looking for color. So I've settled on Joe-Pye weed as one of the species I will be planting this fall.

Joe-Pye weed has many other interesting names: trumpet weed, queen of the meadow (some say king), gravel root, kidney root, purple boneset, skunk weed, marsh milk weed and quillwort. Folk tradition gives the source of its name to “Joe Pye,” a New England Indian who cured typhus fever by forcing sweats in his patients using the herb.

The word “weed” is a misnomer. It is a beautiful plant. The stems are quite woody and strong, so the configuration of the plant is substantial. It is not easily doused by heavy rains. It grows on average to heights of 4 feet to 7 feet, although I think most of the clumps I find are closer to 3 feet tall. The leaves are arranged in graceful and regular groups of five or so around the stem at intervals. The blossoms are fragrant with a vanilla scent, and start out in darker purples and pinks and fully bloom into dusty rose. Picked just as they open, the flowers will easily dry to use in everlasting arrangements. If the plant is pinched back in early June, the flowers will be even more numerous, although the entire plant will be shorter.

Attracts butterflies
Joe-Pye weed is a great addition to a butterfly garden and works well as a companion plant to bee balm, butterfly bush, yarrow and anise hyssop. It blooms from late July to frost and enjoys areas of high moisture. It will attract eastern tiger swallowtails, great spangled fritillary, monarch, pearl crescent and the tawny-edged skipper butterflies.

In 1785, the Rev. Manasseh Cutler, the father of American natural history, wrote a treatise of many of the native plants of North America and their uses. For Joe-Pye weed he noted, “Dr. Withering says an infusion of an handful of it vomits and purges smartly. An ounce of the root, in decoction, is a full dose. In smaller doses, the Dutch peasants take it as an alterative and antiscorbutic.” Through the centuries, Joe-Pye weed has been used as a natural remedy for arthritis, kidney ailments, dropsy (edema), jaundice, ulcers, scurvy and burns.

While I won't be using it for herbal medicines, I will look forward to next summer for the late purple color of Joe-Pye weed in my garden.

Charlene Perkins Cutler writes a column about The Last Green Valley that appears Sundays. Reach her at cpcutler@snet.net